The ovation as the Al Ahli players stepped onto the turf at Rashid Stadium on Friday night was unquestionably deserved.
Apt reward for the UAE’s leading club of 2015/16 had been confirmed on Thursday. A weakened Al Ain’s loss at Fujairah had seen the Arabian Gulf League title finally slip from their grasp and head back to Dubai, 24 hours before their rival’s penultimate fixture against Bani Yas.
A record 66-point tally can be attained during next week’s finale at home to rock-bottom Al Shaab if they gain a 21st win from 26 matches. Their 55 goals scored and just 20 conceded are the best in the division, a colossal +35 goal difference testament to their dominance over the rest of the field.
With the depth of squad now available to boss Cosmin Olaroiu and the hierarchy’s continued investment, there seems little chance of a repeat of 2014/15’s wretched title defence.
The challenge now is for the Middle East’s premier side to take one giant leap forward and improve on last year’s first run to the AFC Champions League final. Everything is in place to take the fight for supremacy to the Chinese Super League’s big-spending hordes.
The credit has to begin at the top. Olaroiu – Friday’s ugly rant aside – has repaid the faith shown in him with last summer’s contract extension when most other clubs would have ungratefully considered making a replacement, leading his side again with the aplomb shown during 2013/14’s incredible debut campaign.
The board led by chairman Abdulla Al Naboodah and CEO Ahmed Khalifa have made ambitious marquee signings to compliment the region’s No. 1 coach.
Last summer saw a club-record €17 million (Dh70m) lavished on Senegal forward Moussa Sow and €7m (Dh28.2m) spent on lethal Lima, a new high-water mark for domestic transfers then being created by the Dh60m lavished on international defensive midfielder Khamis Esmail during January.
This followed on from the previous winter’s eye-catching recruitment of Brazil playmaker Everton Ribeiro. All this has come at a time when Al Ain combined pulling the purse strings tighter with signing flops, such as winger Danilo Asprilla, forward Ryan Babel and striker Emmanuel Emenike.
Olaroiu has exhibited tactical fluidity throughout the season.
Happy to veer away from the region’s ubiquitous 4-2-3-1 formation in a bid to get the best out of his fearsome attack, a variety of other shapes have been utilised depending on the opposition. Motivation and organisation have never been problems, with the Middle East’s No. 1 boss always a pro-active and motivating presence on the touchline.
Clarification - some - on Olaroiu's future: says he's leaving, Al Ahli deny any knowledge. Comments seem heat of the moment. #alahli_uae
— John McAuley (@_JMcAuley) April 29, 2016
The strategy – drawn from Chinese kings and their continental conquerors, Guangzhou Evergande – to stockpile UAE internationals has proven inspired.
The latest Whites squad which secured a spot in the third and final round of World Cup 2018 qualifying contained nine Ahli stars, with the roll call led by 2015 AFC Asian Player of the Year Ahmed Khalil and exuberant winger Ismail Al Hammadi.
The current seven-point lead is fully justified and would have been even higher if 19-goal Lima hadn’t been injured since December. The challenge now is to translate this supremacy onto the continental stage.
They possess all that is required to achieve it in 2017.
